Nice 40 Year Retrospect!
5
By HairDisc
This 'budget' collection hand picked by Manchester herself, displays her carreer as a versatile singer and songwriter. She wrote songs for movies as well as singing them, reaching Pop, Adult Contemporary, Soul and Country audiences. The lead track is her baby Midnight Blue. A song she wrote and sang into the top 5 in 1975 for her first chart singles success. She co-wrote many movie themes like the current Rainbird from Dirty Girl and the anthem I Know Who I Am (sung here live) from For Colored Girls. It also includes the nominated movie theme from Ice Castles (Through The Eyes Of Love) lp version.
Lovers After All, a duet with Peabo Bryson became her first top 40 Soul charting single in 1980. It was co-written with Leon Ware who also produced the lp track Shine Like You Should from Don't Cry Out Loud. My favorite addition here.
Other duets with Collin Raye A Mother And Father's Prayer which was on Country radio back in 2000. Gershwin's I Can't Get Started was recorded with the late Cooker Lopresti, her guitarist at the time.
Although nothing was selected from her brilliant comeback CD from 2004 When I Look Down That Road, this is a great exposure to some of her best material. Perhaps a volume two is in order with some rarieties and more best of. Some suggestions Them from The Promise (I'll Never Say Goodbye), Theif Of Hearts, Just One Lifetime, You've Got A Friend with Barry Manilow and her radio classic Whenever I Call You Friend written with Kemmy Loggins.
